Refrigerator.



' l PATENTED MAY', 1903.' C. G. SGHMDT & J. A. F. KEINE.

RBFRIGERATOR. rrmoumu FILED me. 1s. 1902.

witnessing UNITED STATES CHARLES G. SCHMIDT AND JOHN A.

BUTCHERS SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CIN- AssIGNoRs To CINCINNATI I CINNATI, CHIC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Patented may 5, 1903.

E. HEINE, CF CINCINNATI, CHIC,

REFR|GERAToR- No. 726,995, dated May 5, 190s.

Application filed Augnst`18, 1902. Serial No. 119,998. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that we, CHARLES G. SCHMIDT and JOHN A. F. HEINE, Citizens of the United States, residing in the city of Cincinnati, in the countyof Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators; and we do de- Clare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description thereof, attention being called to the accompanying drawings, with the refference-numerals marked thereon, which form Jection to that construction was that in cases where this outer woodwork was v not thor-4 oughly seasoned and commenced to move byV swelling, shrinking, or warping the glass could not, follow, and broke as a result. Again,'by reason of the inti'mateand rigid connection between these materials (glass and wood) any jar, knock, or concussion received on the outside-as, for instance, during transportation or'moving-would immediately be transmit- A ted to the glass within, with results equally destructive.

To overcome these defects is the leading' object of this invention, and the construction whereby it is attained is the leadingfeature thereof. In addition there are other features' ofv construction, which will be referred to at the proper time.

In the following specification, and particularly pointed out in the -claims following, is

found a full description of the invention; to-

' invention.

gether with its4 parts and Construction, which g "l latter is also illustratedin vthe accompanying drawings, in whichv Figure 1 shows in perspective view a-refrigerator providedwith the features of our Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of it. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the panel-frames. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view showing construction at one of the corners. Fig. 6 shows in a ,perspective View the parts illustratediu Fig. 5. Fig.v7 is a fractional perspective view of one of the corners of the door, showing construction of the same.

In the drawingsyl() indicates such parts as sills, uprights, corner-posts, and cross-pieces .of a skeleton frame.

the refrigerator', attached 'to the outside of" this skeleton frame. The inner wall 12 as far as it surrounds the provision-chamber 13, as well as floor and top thereof, consists of sheets Aof glass, as described in the former patent mentioned. They are of a size to merely cover the intended surfaces and do not lap at their corners or edges. Between these two parts as they form sides and bottom of the provision-chamber 13 there are independent panelframes 14, (see Fig. 4.,) which are fitted between the uprights, cross-pieces, and .other parts of skeleton frame 10. They are provided with cross-pieces 15, ush with their inner side, so as to permit the sheets of glass 12, with interposed sheets of paper 16, to be placed 'evenly against them. The open spacebetween these parts of the panel-frames and between wooden walls 11 `and the sheets 4of paper 17, preferably mineral wool. These panelframes, forming of glass, of skeleton frame lO-in a manner merely suf- 11 is the outer wall of 11 and l2 of the walls and as far v8o v 16 is lled in with non-conducting material thus abacking for the sheets L 1.,.

are held in place between .the parts cient tol retain their position, but not so vrigid as to' prevent them or frame 10 from'` partaking of such motions as are due to warping, shrinking, and swelling. For such purpose these frames are not fitted closely, and

their connection is, as shown in the detail view in Fig. 5, by means ofl a limited number of'screws 18, which pass through enlarged openings 19- in frame 14 and take into the contiguous parts of skeleton frame 10. The object of the sheets of paper is to confine thev vfilling material 17 and also t-o serve as a cushion l for the glass between it and the hard surface of the wood. These sheets of glass-are simply set. against the panel-frames 14, but. are in no way connected thereto. They are held in position in the rear upright corners by strips 20, which may be metal or wood and metal-plated, and which strips are secured by screws 2l,passingdiagonally throughbetween the sheets of glass and into the corner-posts of skeleton frame l0. To obtain sufticient space to permit passage of these screws and also to prevent the edges of the sheets of glass from touching each other and to till out the angular space formed by and. between these edges, there is an additional lling or spacing strip 22, of rectangular protile,which versed, as shown at 32.

is fitted into this angle and also held in place by the same screw 21. This latter also serves .to hold in place a horizontally-projecting to form a guardto protect the glassof the rear wall against articles shoved against it. Around the bottom the construction is the same, a similar spacing-strip 22 being used upon which the upright sheets of glass rest, while the bottom sheet is laid in between these strips. At the front upright edges or corners the glass sheets are held by anglestrips 27, which may be held in place by the screw-hooks 24,which serve at the same time to support the front corners of shelf 25, as already mentioned. At the top similar anglestrips 28 are used, those at the edges-of the circulation-openings 29 and 31 being used re- The inner side of the doors 33 is also lined with glass, asshown at 34. These sheets of glass are set into a recess in the inner side of the doors and held therein by cleats 35 taking over their edges and passing into the woodwork of the doors to a depth beyond the thickness of the glass. The cleats are secured by nails 36, driven into the edge of the door and at such-places as to catch these cleats. These latter, as well as the joints between the glass and wood, are covered and closed by an ornamental frame 37, preferably ofbright metal. To prevent any moisture deposited on the glass Y from creeping into the woodwork, particu-l larly at the corners of the provision-chamber,

the sheets of glass before being placed in position are provided with a coating of white lead around their outer edges, as shown at 38. Above the provision-chamber there is the ice-chamber 39, arranged in the usual manner lining is turned up to form ridges 43 to prevent the water from the melting ice from flooding the provisionchamber, which water is carried.. otf through a drain-pipe 44, dis-- charging at 45 into a suitable vessel or. tank resting on the floor below the refrigerator. This space is closed in front by a swinging apron 46, behind which this tank is concealed. The ice rests on corrugated crosspieces 47, supported on longitudinal rails 48 and forming the parts ofthe ice-rack, all of sheet metal. Rails 48 are perforated to permit the air which circulates through openings 29 andi-31 to freely reach all parts and spaces of the interior. To prevent any drippings from the ice passing through these openings, we provide hoods 49, supported between rails 48 and above these openings. Only one is needed in this case-that is, over opening29--sincethereisnoice above opening 3l, such space being kept clear for circulating purposes, the ice being prevented from encroaching by a stop 5l. Hoods 49 are hollow and inelose an air-space to prevent formation of cbnde'nsationon their under side.

It will be noted that by reason of the sheets of glass being loosely held in :the manner shown the movements of the various parts of the woodwork, ydue to swelling, shrinking,

and warping, may proceed without interferencewith the glass and jars and concussions received from the outside are not transmitted.

Having described our invention, we claim as new 1. Arefrigerator having the inclosing sides of its provision-chamber formed of sheets of glass, panel-frames against which they are placed, a skeleton frame within which these panel-frames are contained, means connecting to the skeleton frame whereby the glass sheets are loosely held in position and. an y outer wall attached to the skeleton frame.

2. Arefrigerator, the construction of which comprises an open skeleton frame, an outer wall connected to the outside thereof, panelframes loosely fitted into the open part thereof, screws whereby they are heldin position withinv the skeleton frame, the openings for them in the panel-frame being enlarged beyoud` the diameter of the holding-screws, sheets of glass forming the inclosing Walls ot' the provision-chamber and means to hold them in position against the panel-frame without rigid connection thereto.

3. A refrigerator, the construction of which comprises in combination an open skeleton frame, anouter wall connected to the outside thereof, panel-framesloosely fitted into the open parts of this skeleton frame, sheets of glass forming the inclosing walls of the provision-chamber, placed against these panelframes, but without connection thereto, angular strips in the corners of this provisionchamber covering the edges of contiguous sheets of glass and screws passing through IIO the space between these latter and into the parts of the skeleton frame to hold these angular strips in position.

4. A refrigerator, the construction of which comprises in combination an open skeleton frame, an outer wall connected to the outside thereof, panel-frames loosely fitted into the open parts thereof, screws whereby they are held in position within the skeleton frame, the openings forthemin the panel-frame being enlarged beyond the diameter ofthe holding-screws, sheets of glass forming the inclosing 'Walls of the provision-chamber placed against these panel-frames but Without connection thereto, angular strips in the corners of this provision-chamber covering the edges of contiguous sheets of glass and screws passing through the space between these latter and into the parts of the skeleton frame to hold these angular strips in position.'

5. In a refrigerator having the inclosin'g sides and doors of its provision-chamber lined .with sheets of glass, recesses in the inner side of the doors to receive these sheets, cleats taking over the edges of these sheets and attached to the woodwork of the door to hold these sheets in position and an ornamental frame to cover these cleats and the crevices between glass and woodwork.

6. A refrigerator having a provision-chamber and an ice-chamber above the same, a

horizontal partition between the two, openings in this partition to provide for circulation of air, an ice-rack in the ice-chamber upon which the ice rests, the same consisting of'cross members and longitudinal members below them and a lhood between these latter and above the openings in the horizontal partition mentioned, said hood being hollow so as to form an inclosed air-space.

'7. In a refrigerator, the combination of a skeleton frame, an outer wall attached to the outer side thereof, sheets of glass on the inside forming the inclosing sides of the provision-chamber, angular strips in the corners of this provision-chamber at the edges of the sheets of glass and where they meet at corners, strips in place, horizontally-projecting brackets 23 having attaching-lugs projecting from their inner corners and so interposed that the heads of the screws mentioned pass also through these lugs, thereby holding at the same time brackets 23 in position and a shelf supported on these latter.

In testimony whereof we hereunto set our signatures in the presence of' two witnesses. CHARLES G. SCHMIDT.

. JOHN A. F. HENE.

Witnesses:

C. SPENGEL, ARTHUR KLINE.

screws to hold these angular corner` 

